While in Letchworth Garden City on Friday 30th of August I walked through the Garden Square Shopping Centre and noticed some red flags in the distance and was surprised and excited to see they were part of a Minigolf course set-up as part of the shopping centre’s ‘Letchworth Beside The Seaside’ event!

The Mini Golf and Games course gets the thumbs-up from me

The 9-hole Swedish Felt type of Mini Golf had been in Letchworth for the week and would be closing at 5pm on the very day I happened to be there!

Hole 1 - the loop-di-loop

A round of Crazy Golf was a reasonable £2.50 to play so I headed out for a round with the gaze of the shoppers on me as I attempted to have a good round on the tough type of Miniature Golf course.

A view of the obstacle on hole 3, hole 7 in the middle and hole 8 in the distance

The layout was of the smaller, more portable type of Swedish Felt but still had some very tough obstacles and fiendishly small holes to putt into.

Hole 4 of the nice and bright Minigolf course in Letchworth Garden City

I started with some OK twos, but hit a four at the third. However I recovered and hit a nice ace on the seventh to a ripple of applause from some of the shoppers enjoying the lovely sunny day and taking a break on the benches near the course. I also aced the ninth to score a total of 20(+2).

The course was well laid out, with a nice consistent playing surface and with felt in very good condition. It was well worth a play and with a second round played on the same day half price it’s worth challenging yourself to beat your previous score. I tried, but failed to best my 20 and even though I started well with an ace on the first (a loop-di-loop obstacle – a nemesis of mine) I could only manage a 20 again, as I hit a three on the last.

Hole 9 required a shot that was nicely played and slightly angled to the right to score the ace. Or a wall shot rebound

I’m looking forward to playing the Mini Golf and Games course in future and it’ll be nice to have a challenge match against Emily on it.

The Letchworth public enjoying a round of Minigolf on the course at the Garden Square Shopping Centre

Unfortunately, and following the theme of our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour over the last seven years, the courses were closed. To be fair the weather was rainy and it wasn't the best of days, but only we could visit a seaside resort in the height of summer and not play a Minigolf course!

Closed due to the weather - another unplayable course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour

We did have a good look at the 9-hole Crazy Golf course (it's a Swedish Felt variety of Miniature Golf) and the interesting looking 18-hole Putting course - it had some very thin lanes and greens that were raised at the back.

Outside the Putting course in Walton on the Naze

The pair of courses became the 534th and 535th courses visited in total on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour. Hopefully one day we'll get to play the courses.

A view of the 'Swedish Felt' Crazy Golf course in Walton on the Naze

And another...

...and another...

...and one for luck.

The courses are open 11am to 5pm, seven days a week from the 20th of July until the 1st of September. The Crazy Golf course costs just £1 for adults (75p for juniors and seniors). The Putting is £2.50 for adults (£2 for juniors and seniors).

Re-visiting the 7th course on the Crazy World of Minigolf Tour at Fantasia Adventure Golf in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

On the 20th of August Emily and I headed back to Felixstowe, Suffolk for a day out at the seaside.

Richard on hole 6 - Evil Eye

On what was a lovely sunny day we wandered past the 9-hole Fantasia Adventure Golf course on Sea Road and saw that the coast was clear for a nice 'relaxed' game of Minigolf.

Emily putting on hole 1 - The Puzzler

It's not often we're in Felixstowe in the summer, you're more likely to find us Putting away on the indoor Magical Golf course at Mannings Amusements just down the road, while it's raining/frosty/wintery outside.

Friday, August 16, 2013

2013 UK Rock Paper Scissors Championships to take place in London on the 23rd of November!

The date for the 2013 UK Rock Paper Scissors Championships has been announced! The big event will be taking place on Saturday 23rd of November.

Taking place at the Knights Templar Pub on Chancery Lane in London, the three hour UK Rock Paper Scissors Championships will see 250 competitors battle it out for the top prize of UK Champ, a trophy and £100 in prize money.

Emily and I have competed in a number of the Wacky Nation organised Rock Paper Scissors tournaments and always found them great fun. In the 2012 International Rock Paper Scissors Championships our team finished fourth, losing to Great Britain in the bronze medal match (we were San Marino).

Taking on football legend Neil 'Razor' Ruddock in a 2012 International Rock Paper Scissors 'friendly' match!

In game one Emily took the victory 1-up. Game two saw Seth take a 3&2 win while the decider saw Seth edge a 1-up victory to take the series win and the CMGC Matchplay Championship title.

Seth tackles hole 6

Local character Mick 'The Man' Gisbourne was also in residence at the Boscombe Chine Gardens course during the championship weekend and played against Emily and Seth in 'The Boscombe Jiggle' competition.

Seth leading the way in the three-player event

In the one-round contest Seth won with a round of 36(par), Emily was second with a 40(+4) and Mick The Man was third with a round of 48(+12).

Mick The Man has a tricky and long second shot coming up in 'The Boscombe Jiggle' contest

The Boscombe Mini Golf course is in a nice location and easily accessible (it's also a stop on the Bournemouth to Boscombe Land Train). Well worth a play if you're in the area.